Talk a Lot

Big Word Game

Instructions
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Talk a Lot Elementary © English Banana.com
5.9

The Big Word Game is based on either the list of 50 questions (see page 5.15), or the set of
50 cards with the same questions printed on them (see pp.5.23-5.28), to be used in
conjunction with a set of discussion word cards from any Talk a Lot topic – or any word list
that you want to study. The question cards could be laminated for durability, if possible.

There are a few different ways for you to use the questions. Here we outline some of the
methods that we like, for both competitive and non-competitive activities. No doubt you and
your students will be able to think of further variations and more ways to utilise the questions!

The first time you use this activity with your class, you may need to concept check some of
the more difficult questions to make sure that your class understands them, e.g. “How many
consonant clusters does this word contain?” This is an impossible question for a student to
answer, unless they have learned what a “consonant cluster” is! See the notes for teachers
on pp.5.17-5.19 to check what students need to know to be able to answer each question.

The following activities are ideal for use during the word focus sessions on a Talk a Lot lesson
plan; as warmers at the beginning of a lesson, or as the basis of some competitive fun at the
end of a busy lesson. It’s up to you what you want to do with them!

1
To buy a question card costs
one token. Player B picks up the top card from the pack and reads out the question. Player A
has to answer truthfully about the word that they have chosen. Player B then tries to guess
the word. To have a guess costs one token. If Player B can’t guess the word, they can buy
another question for one token. This continues until they guess the word, or “give up” and
Player A reveals the word. To “give up” costs two tokens. After this, the roles are reversed
and Player B chooses a word, whilst Player A has to buy questions and guesses.

1

Or, if you are using the question list, Player A chooses a number between 1-40, which Player B reads out (i.e.
Player B cannot choose their own – perhaps easier! – question), and then tries to guess Player A’s word. Player B
still has to “buy” the question from their partner.Talk a Lot

Big Word Game

Instructions
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Talk a Lot Elementary © English Banana.com
5.10

W


This information eliminates all but six of the discussion words from the “Transport” unit.
Player B buys a guess by giving one token to Player A.

Player B: Is it “service station”?
Player A: No.

Player B buys a question card by giving one token to Player A.

Player B: (Reading) “Describe this word using exactly four words.”
Player A: OK. Leave your vehicle here.
Player B: Car park!
Player A: Yes. That’s right.
Player B: OK. Now I’ll choose a word.

Player B has chosen a word.
Player A buys a question card by giving one token to Player B.

[etc.]
Talk a Lot

Big Word Game

Instructions
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Talk a Lot Elementary © English Banana.com

INNING
:

The first team to 10 / 20 / 30 etc. wins. Or, within a time limit, the team with the most points at
the end wins.

B
ENEFITS
:

It’s a fun and noisy group activity which everybody can play. Students will explore a variety of
word focus themes from the Talk a Lot course, as well as continue to focus on the discussion
words from the lesson or topic that they happen to be studying at that time. Competitive Game #3: Question Cards – Quick GameS
ET
U
P
:

This is a simpler competitive game for two players, using the 40 question cards in black type
(not the blue ones). All of the discussion word cards are lying face down spread across the
table, in no particular order; and all of the question cards have been shuffled and are face
down in a pack on the table. This game is random! Each player has 20 tokens – or coins. (For
a shorter game, they could have fewer tokens each, and for a longer game, more.)


tokens left wins. Therefore the winner is the person who answers the most questions
correctly. Variation: you could agree a time-limit for the game and, when the time is up, the
player with the most tokens left is the winner. Note: the teacher may need to adjudicate / help
when neither student is sure that the correct answer has been given!

B
ENEFITS
:

A quick and fun activity for students working in pairs, focusing on the language of the topic
and some of the general spoken English themes of the Talk a Lot course. Competitive Game #4 – Board GameS
ET
U
P
:

This is a sit-down board game for 2-6 players, which uses the game board on page 5.29. You
could print it (or photocopy it) so that it’s bigger – e.g. A3 size instead of A4 – and therefore
easier to use. You could also laminate it for durability, or even design your own game board
along similar lines! You can use any group of vocabulary words, such as a set of discussion
words from any of the Talk a Lot topics, e.g. “Animals” from Elementary Book 2. All players
should be able to see all of the words at all times. You will need one counter for each player
(e.g. a coin), and a dice or spinner with 1-6 on it. You will also need one set of question cards
(questions 1-40 only), which should be shuffled and placed face downwards on the table.

S
PACES
:

e.g. -2 = move back x spaces, in this example two spaces
e.g. Í17 = move back to this number space on the board, in this example #17
X = miss a turn – i.e. when it’s their next turn to roll the dice, they don’t play!
Talk a Lot

Big Word Game

Instructions
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Talk a Lot Elementary © English Banana.com
5.13

Also, look out for two arrows which will take you back several spaces!

Q
UESTION
S
PACES
:


S
ET
U
P
:

See p.5.30 for full instructions. Non-Competitive Activity #1: Analyse a Set of WordsS
ET
U
P
:

Students could work in pairs, in small groups, one to one with the teacher, or as a whole class
with the teacher. This activity uses all 50 questions, and could be done using either the
question list or the question cards.

M
ETHOD
:

Students simply analyse a specific group of words. The words could be part of a vocabulary
set, a complete set of 40 discussion words, or words that the students (or the teacher) have
chosen to look at, e.g. a set of eight specific discussion words. Perhaps they could be words

:

This is a great way to introduce the tasks on the question cards, and to fix any problems that
students may have in understanding how to approach them. Students could work in pairs, in
small groups, one to one with the teacher, or as a whole class with the teacher. This activity
uses all 50 questions, and could be carried out using either the question list or the question
cards.

M
ETHOD
:

This time, students analyse any word from the set of 40 discussion words (or any noun that
they or the teacher has chosen). For example, from the “Films” unit in Talk a Lot Elementary
Book 3, they might choose (or randomly select) the word “blockbuster”. Students go through
as many questions as they want – or as time allows – and answer each one using the same
word: “blockbuster”. There is an example of this activity on pp.5.20-5.22. Again, the teacher
may set a time limit for this activity, or even set it for homework. The focus should be on
speaking out loud during this activity, via discussion of the words and the questions, although,
of course, students may want to write down some of their findings.